


Stay

by idontshipiyatch



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Light Angst, Shared Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24020371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idontshipiyatch/pseuds/idontshipiyatch
Summary: “I think it's broken" you sigh, grasp tightening on the edge of the stone bench.Forcing your clenched jaw to loosen, you look up to meet Johnny's eyes, "You should go, I'll slow you down,” you say, hoping to sound more determined than you feel, but he frowns, and you catch a flash of something you don't quite get in the brown orbs before he schools his expression back to neutral."I'm not leaving you,” he hums, gently putting your ankle back down.
Relationships: Suh Youngho | Johnny/Reader
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

“I think it's broken" you sigh, grasp tightening on the edge of the stone bench.

Forcing your clenched jaw to loosen, you look up to meet Johnny's eyes. "You should go, I'll slow you down,” you say, hoping to sound more determined than you feel, but he frowns, and you catch a flash of something you can't quite decipher in the brown orbs before he schools his expression back to neutral.

"I'm not leaving you,” he hums, gently putting your ankle back down.

Rolling your eyes, you huff, “Johnny, you can’t make it to the city with me limping along.” Crossing your arms, you add something you know he won’t like, “I wouldn’t make it long over there anyway.”

His gaze sharpens and you can tell you’ve hit a nerve, but it’s about time you both address the elephant of a problem that’s been following you around this damn desert.

“You’re a noble, I’m barely better than a slave in the eyes of the law, you’d lose me the second we arrive either way,” you state with a nonchalant shrug to conceal how much this prospect terrifies you.

Standing up, it’s his turn to look crossed, but you tilt your chin up and defiantly lock eyes with him.

“I’m not leaving you here and I’m not gonna lose you in the city, so quit that.”

A frustrated and slightly pained grunt flies past your lips when you rise to your feet, but you’re not so prideful to reject Johnny’s hands when they immediately land on your hips to keep you stable.

Eyeing him at first with the intent to keep arguing, you take in his expression and let out a defeated sigh, “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

x

“Hey, look at that we made it,” he grins, with a playful wink that tells a story miles away from the way he holds you against him, half carrying you to the gate.

“Yay,” you say, but a cough flares up the pain in your ribs and the pretense of a smile you had tried to put on drops, sinking in the cracks of the dried earth.

The shivers running down your spine turn to drops of ice catching sight of the guards and you tense up, heels digging in the group, “I can’t, Johnny, they’ll-” you start, but he cups your face with his free hand to turn your attention to him instead. “It’s gonna be fine, I won’t let them hurt you,” he brushes his thumb across your cheek and gives you a soft smile, “I promise.”

x

Waking up with a start, your body doesn’t give you the opportunity to observe your surroundings and you fall to the ground, heaving in pain.

You feel hands holding you, but your head swirls and your stomach knots, pushing tremors so intense down your skin you start convulsing.

A voice sounding vaguely familiar echoes in the back of your mind, but another wave of nausea takes over, and your attention is too strained on trying to breathe to attempt recognizing it.

x

Eyes creaking open, you groan and your hands immediately clasp your mouth to keep any other noises down, and you quickly pull off the sheets in hope to scramble off the bed and dash for the door before someone can see you.

Your plan collapses with the clap of a book being shut, and your breath itches in fear that turns into relief when you notice Johnny sitting in the corner.

“Now, where are you planning to run off to? I doubt you’re even able to stand.”

Tone casual, his gaze anchors on you with enough intensity to keep you frozen on the spot.

“I wasn’-” you start, but Johnny quirks a dubious eyebrow in your direction and your lips curve into a contrite smile as you mumble, “Sorry, habits die hard.”

Standing up from an armchair looking too luxurious to belong in the parts of the city you’d be allowed into, Johnny makes his way to the bed, and your eyes widen noticing the size of it as he joins you on it.

Brows furrowed in concern, he brushes the back of his hand against your forehead and his lips twitch upwards in relief. “Your fever’s gone,” he smiles, “How are you feeling?”

Hastily doing a mental check, you wiggle your fingers, surprised to find your nails completely free of dirt. “I’ve been better, but also a lot of worse,” offering him a grateful grin you add, “I’d say a good middle ground.”

Chuckling, he tucks a strand behind your ear before leaning back to rest on his elbow.

“You gave me quite a scare, darling,” he hums, and his tone colors with a tinge of reproach when he adds, “You’re a better liar than I would have thought, the doctor told me all about a lot of injuries I had no idea of.”

Ears reddening, you duck your eyes down, “Yeah, I-”

Hearing him shuffling closer, you bite your lip but stays still until long fingers gently lift your head up.

“I’m not mad, we made it that’s what matters,” he reassures, but the playful glint in his eyes doesn’t tamper with his next warning, “In the future though, I won’t stand for that, if you’re hurt you need to tell me, okay?”

Instinctively nodding, you then blink at his words with a frown, “The future? Johnny, I’ll never be allowed to stay,” you pause, looking around the room with a confused shrug, “Wherever this is.”

A smile tugs at his lips when he retorts, “Actually, this happens to be my home, and I decide who gets to stay.” Leaning in, he cups your face with both hands and continues, “And you, my darling, just so happen to be someone I want here for a long time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [chapter moodboard](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_zszNQBhDG/)
> 
> this started off as the bits i remembered from a dream but i like the setting so there'll most likely be one or two chaps 
> 
> hope you liked it
> 
> D.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dea: means death in Old English (for the simple reason that i am oh so very original)
> 
> although the setting is Ancient Greece/Rome the dialogue is quite modern + i kept their stage names, will probs not if i write another nct story but it'll do for this one
> 
> with that out of the way, enjoy!

“It feels weird.”

Chuckling, Johnny presses a kiss to your hair, “You look pretty.”

The retort earns him an eye roll, but your lips quirk up with fondness as you hook your arm around his elbow before stepping outside the villa.

Managing to tame your worry until you reach the market place, the crowd slithers anxiety through your defenses, and keeping your tone low, you voice a reminder that has your skin crawling, “You could get in trouble being seen with me outside.”

His shrug doesn’t hold even a flicker of uncertainty and he sounds just as confident when he speaks, louder than you did, unbothered by the eavesdroppers undoubtedly lurking around. “I mean to make you my wife, if anyone has a problem with that, let them blabber with the gossips. So long as no one touches you, I don’t care.”

Punctuating his statement by intertwining your fingers, he strides forward, head high with you next to him, and your heart beats faster under the curious gazes trailing your steps.

x

“I know you.”

Startled by the voice, you turn around and frown at the stranger staring at you with a pensive expression.

Taking a good look at him, you can’t place his face to any name so you shrug, “Well, I don’t.”

Intending to turn back to go find Johnny between the stalls, you feel shivers of anger spark along your skin when a strong grip ensnares your arm.

“Wait, I wasn’t done talking to you,” says the man, and you face him with a glare. “I was, let go of me,” you demand, but he ignores you, and his eyes roam your face with unsettling concentration.

Pondering over which option will cause the less ruckus to get away from him, your eyes widen hearing his next words.

“You were in the pit.”

Snatching your arm back, you recoil, and your voice is blessedly more steady than your mind when you speak up, “I have no idea what you’re talking about so leave me alone.”

To your dismay, the man stubbornly breaches the little space you’d put between you and apprehension pools in your stomach seeing his lips curl into a smile.

“I know you were, I mean I only saw you once, but-” he pauses, tilting his head as he thinks and a wide grin etches on his face when he says, “Dea! Gods, I knew your face seemed familiar.”

Surprised by the name, the sentiment increases when he carries on, “I know it’s not actually your name,” he smiles, sheepish as he rubs his neck, and your hostility sways under how friendly his tone grows. “But my friend never told me your real one, he said you abandoned it when you were captured.”

Huffing, you stay on your guard and cross your arms, leveling the brown eyes eagerly fixed on you. “And what else did your-” you pause, quirking a dubious eyebrow at the man, “Friend, had to say about me?”

The bright smile he gives you completes your assumption that the stranger, despite his suitable physique for it, has never set foot on the sand of an arena.

“He said you were as nice to him as you were scary in the pit.”

Humming at the answer, you notice Johnny a few stands away and quietly map out your escape route to him, but curiosity pushes one last question off your tongue and you let it roll, intent on using the stranger’s naivety to your advantage.

“You’ve got the wrong person,” you say, ignoring the disappointed pout it etches on the man’s face, “But out of curiosity what’s your friend’s name?”

Another grin slips back on his lips, and his eyes sparkle with eagerness straight into yours when he says a name you hadn’t heard in what felt like forever. “Mark.”

x

“Anxious?”

Shaking your head, you tug Johnny forward with a smile, “Excited, I never thought I’d see him again.”

x

Despite the cover of darkness, you recognize Mark the second he steps out of the shadows.

“Mark!”

The sound of your voice breaks his hesitancy and he dashes to you, lashes heavy with wet beads of relief by the time your arms close around him for an embrace.

He holds you tight, and you card your fingers through his hair, both too choked up with emotions to speak just yet.

A weight that had always lingered on your shoulders since your parted ways finally lifts off and a smile hangs off your lips when you lean back to cup his cheek. “You’re alright,” you say, because you still need to wrap your head around that fact, and he nods through his tears with a little grin that trembles when he speaks, “I thought you were dead, we all did.”

Sniffling, he holds your hand to his chest. “What happened to you? We tried to look for you but-” You cut him off with a soft stroke on the side of his face, “You couldn’t have found me, and I’m glad you didn’t.” Pausing, you sigh, “I wouldn’t have wanted you to leave one nightmare to get caught in another.”

He frowns at your words so you carry on to ease him, “It’s alright, I’m alright now, that’s all that matters.”

You don’t need to turn around to know Johnny smiled at that, and Mark must have noticed because he eyes behind you with a wary look when he asks, “Who’s he?”

Chuckling at his reaction, you let go of him to turn and hold out your hand, giving Johnny a tender smile when he takes it to stand by you.

“Mark, meet Johnny, he’s the reason I’m still alive today.” Amusement tickles your lips seeing the way the introduction widens your friend’s eyes and you brush them across Johnny’s knuckles before adding, “And my soon to be husband.”

Mark’s eyebrows shoot up so high even Johnny can’t hide his smile, and you clasp a hand on his shoulder to shake him off the surprise from the news. “You can trust him.”

The nod Mark gives you is a little reluctant, but his protest doesn’t go beyond throwing Johnny suspicious looks as he leads the way to where he’s staying.

x

Everything halts to a complete still the moment you step inside.

Mark already told you he and his friend Lucas, whom you had since learned was the overly trusting stranger from the marketplace, managed to find some of the others after the escape, but the pairs of eyes set on you still don’t feel real.

No words break the silence, but you gasp in disbelief as relief floods through your veins seeing all of them, especially the younger ones, in one piece.

Your first step is hesitant, but your arms open automatically when they sprint to you, colliding against your chest with sobs already filling the silence of the room.

Circled by people whose fate had haunted your darkest nights, you cry your joy with them, and the happiness bursting through your heart seeps into your eyes when you lock them with Johnny’s watching the scene from the doorframe.

x

Sitting with your back against the wall, you let your fingers wander along the strands of Jaemin’s hair who claimed the spot between your legs while Jisung and Chenle rest their heads on your thighs.

“How many left?”

“Just Jae-Hyun,” replies Taeyong, and you grit your teeth. “Where is he?”

Doyoung sighs, “Last we heard a ludus in Capua.”

Clicking your tongue, your hand stills in Jaemin’s hair until he turns to give a look, and you playfully roll your eyes before resuming the motion, thoughts spiraling.

“How’d you get the others out? I assume some of you didn’t make it straight away, correct?”

A few nods agree with your statement before Mark speaks up, “It’s different this time, none of us were in a ludus, we can’t go in without knowing how we would get him out, we need to get someone inside.”

You hum and Johnny calls your name in warning, but the look in your eyes when you meet the worried brown orbs makes him sigh.

The interaction triggers a few confused frowns, and Johnny’s expression is sour when you say, “I could get in, we all know how wild people can get when it’s a woman fighting in the pit.”

x

“I don’t like it.”

Cupping his face, you give him a small smile, “I know you don’t, but I can’t live with myself not doing anything. I wouldn’t have survived in the ludus if it wasn’t for Jae-Hyun, my love, I have to do this.”

He sighs, understanding and worry battling over his features, so you grab his hands and raise them to your lips to kiss them.

“You’ve been protecting me, but I am a killer, Johnny, I was taught to murder. If I can use that against the same kind of people who forced all of us into the pit, I will. You found me broken because I pushed my past away hoping it’d help me move on, but I am strong.”

A small smile curves his lips when he whispers, “I know you are, my heart.”

Stance softening, you exhale and give him a fond look, “I can get him out, I know I can.”

You catch glimpses of his inner debate in his eyes but remain uncertain until he speaks his verdict.

“Fine, but don’t you dare not letting me help.”

Grinning, you stand on your toes and loop your arms around his neck, “I wouldn’t dream of it,” you whisper against his lips before eagerly pressing your gratitude onto them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spartacus fans kudo to u if you got the ref
> 
> 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔬𝔬𝔡 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔬𝔲𝔩  
>   
> 📍 [where to find me](https://mooniv.carrd.co/)  
>   
> D.


End file.
